First Date

[bright sparks]

I think he should be introducing himself to you prior to taking your daughter out. If you have never met him before and he is a year older than your daughter then this is what I would expect...in fact from anyone of any age. I would maybe try to be upfront with your daughter about this, explaining that before they go, you would like to meet this young man. I think that while she may be a little embarrassed, she will probably understand and be okay with it. Also, if this guy is any good, he won't have a problem with it either. As long as you have talked to your daughter about safety and precautions and she lets you know where she will be and what time she will be home, I don't think you have anything to worry about. Sounds like from what you have said that she is a smart girl anyway.

As for trying to find things out about him, don't do it to yourself. Nothing you find out good or bad will help this situation because how would you act after finding something out anyway? Your daughter would lose trust in you if you confronted her or him so I think the better thing to do is not sneak about but ask her and him outright the things you need to know for reassurance. I am a worry wart too, I get it, but this kind of thing just feeds our anxiety and the only way to conquer this is to not buy into the sneaking around at all. Just be glad she is a late bloomer and wasn't doing this earlier

High School in the UK starts at age 11 so this starts a lot earlier. My daughter is 14 and has little crushes, mainly on movie stars lol but no boyfriends yet and I constantly thank god she isn't doing her schooling in England because by now it would be all kinds of hairy! UK schools do not teach abstinence, so I'll let you fill in the blanks!!! 17 and never been kissed sounds wonderful to me now as a mother